GETTINGAROUND CAR CURRENTSA OTHER TRANSPORTATIONTRENDS
Travelby Paddle theCapeisfunforallages Kayaking Even though most have his customers
speed.But novices and kayakerspre-
boats light, durable, and abrasionre-
have never navigateda kayak before,
ferring stability to speed should take
sistant.tndem vessels,like the Loon
John McCrath saysthat doesnot deter Cape residentsand visitors from grab-
a look at hard-chine kayaks, whose
15T or the Twin Otter, both weigh
sharperanglescreatebetter handling.
around 70 poundsand haveadjustable
bing a paddle,hitting the water,and
There are two types of hard-chine
front seatsfor two paddlers.Vilder-
kayaks. The first features an open-
nessSystemsoffersa similarkayak,the
different side of the Cape from a kay-
cockpit with either one or two seats. Vater staysout of the boat, and you
Pamlico 145T,a tandemwith an adjustablefront seatand foot braces,and
ak," saysMcGrath, the owner of the 'Just last Chatham Kayak Company.
can simply swim free if you capsize.
a waterproof hatch perfect for storing
The second option, a sit-atop, uses
a cameraor cell phone. Old Town Ca-
week I had an lrish couple come out for a tour on the Oyster River.They
your weight to keep you onboard. The water laps aroundyour legswhile
noesand Kayaksareavailableat Coose
had so much fun that they returnedthe
you paddle. Many newer recreational
nis, and Madaket Marine on Nantuck-
next day with their small children." Over the past severalyears,kayak-
kayaksare made from recycledplastic
et; \ZildernessSystemskayakscan be
and polyethylene;Mccrath saysthese
found at SeaSports,EasternMountain
ing Cape Cod hasbecomean increasingly popular pastime, with the re-
materialsadd durability. All told, the
Sportsin Hyannis, and IslandVater
cost of purchasinga kayak and safety
Sportsin Vineyard Haven.
giont endlessponds, coves,bays,and
equipmentcan rangefrom about$200
If you'd like to get more experi-
marshesfacilitatingan entire industry.
ence before you put down somecash,
Kayak shopsacrossthe Cape offer les-
to $2,000,Mccrath says. To get started,check out the hard-
sons and group tours in the watersof
chine kayaksfrom Maine'sOld Town
Goose Hummock Shops, the instruc-
PleasantBay,Nauset Marsh, and Bass
Canoesand Kayaks and South Caro-
River, among other locales.Julie Mar-
linas Vilderness Systems.Old Town
tors are certified in kayak instruction, "Even the mostapFirstAid, and CPR.
tin from Orleans' Goose Hummock
Canoe and Kayak has consistentlyad-
prehensivepeople can develop solid
Shops estimatesmore than 10,000
vanced its techniquessince they built
kayaking skills in about two hours,"
visitors between eight and 80 years "ltl old paddle with them each year.
their first kayak in the 1940s.Most of the hulls have a base made of poly-
Martin says.
common to have our entire fleet of
ethylene,a type of plastic that makes
equipment, idyllic views and an un-
occasionallycoming back for seconds. "Folksfrom all over the world can seea
Hummock Shops,SeaSportsin Hyan-
take lessonsat a local kayak shop. At
Once you have the skills and the kayaking
100 kayaks out on the water during
forgettable
the summer,"she says.
are just a short drive down Route "ln 6. Chatham, we are fortunate to
experience
Todays kayaks can accommodate just about anyone,thanksto develop-
have easy-to-paddlerivers, coves,
ments in the chine-the edgebetween
and marshes, all chockablock with
a kayak's side and its bottom. Tiadi-
nooks and cranniesto explore," says "The sealife and shorebirds
tional kayakswere multi-chinevessels,
McCrath.
with rounded hulls that glided effortlessly through the water with great
are spectacular." t
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-Tomker C A P EC O DL I F E 1 6 3